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[Hurdity]

Just catching up - great news ellie66 and great reply from Dr Currie! Well done for raising this important issue.

Hurdity 

[ellie66]

Thanks Hurdity 

[peegeetip]

"This is lower than the risks associated with drinking 14-21 units of alcohol per week and the respective risks for obesity, nulliparity, early menarche and late menopause"

At least they are stating this

I had a bit of a word with my doc as they were so negative at each visit (guilt tripping me!) yet I know they don't make such a fuss about people drinking regularly when the above applies more than whether or not I take my HRT

Apparently the same applies for those who like smoked and processed meat - the risk is a lot higher than taking HRT!

Great to see things happen quickly like this, hopefully they will all get the message soon enough and make our lives a bit easier  Thank you Ellie and Dr Currie.

 

[peegeetip]

"Endometrial cancer
Estrogen-only HRT is associated with endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial cancer. This risk increases with duration and is dose-related.

The risk is reduced by supplementing with sequential progesterone from day 10-14 of the cycle. Risk continues several years after stopping.

After treatment for endometrial cancer, HRT should be avoided. The risk of endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial cancer is further increases in obese women"

Sorry but is this missing the information about "Conti" HRT. Perhaps my understanding was wrong but I thought that if we goto the Conti option post menopause then our risk of Endometrial cancer was actually less than "Non Users".

http://www.womens-health-concern.org/help/factsheets/fs_hrtrisksbenefits.html
"The addition of a progestogen every day reduces the risk of this cancer compared to non-users."   

 

[Taz2]

Peegeetip - relating to "I had a bit of a word with my doc as they were so negative at each visit (guilt tripping me!) yet I know they don't make such a fuss about people drinking regularly when the above applies more than whether or not I take my HRT"  my doc advised me to stop drinking alcohol while using HRT as alcohol mimics oestrogen. She said that she advises all of her HRT users to do this but she doesn't think that anyone actually does stop! I didn't I must admit!

Taz x

[peegeetip]

Hi Taz2,

thanks for the advice on keeping off the vino

I think your point shows exactly how there is a culture of misinformation out there feeding our questions and worries.
Each doc seems to have a different slant or nugget of advice which can be true or false or somewhere in the middle.
My own doc didn't mention alcohol Yet its much worse in terms what it does to us compared to HRT.
But we may not want to think about that as we sit down to our second glass of alcohol this evening

Your doc is part of the way there which is good. Also red wine can act in the opposite way and reduce apparantly.

Perhaps the subject of a future post but a somewhat complex, difficult and emotive subject I fear.

 

 

[Taz2]

It's a case of weighing it all up. Two glasses of wine each evening would put us at double the recommended "units". Two units is a small (175ml) glass of under 12% wine. Frightening!

I think my doc was just saying that by taking both HRT and alcohol you are doubling the risk so either go for the alcohol or the HRT.  There's a personal risk quiz on this site http://www.breakthrough.org.uk/about-breast-cancer/breast-cancer-risk-factors   

I seem to tick a lot of the boxes - but the main risk is being aged 50-70 from what I can see!

Of course alcohol is a risk factor for many other cancers too. It's important to try to keep a balanced view I guess. I think we have discussed this a few times before. Maybe try a search?

Taz x

[Witches Cat]

Re: the cut off for some at 60... has anyone thought that we have to pay for our meds, including HRT untill 60... this ruling wouldn't happen to be revenue based would it??  Think how many women would be getting their HRT for free after 60. That's a lot of pennies not coming in.. 

[Rowan]

There are many women being prescribed HRT or ERT after 60, my doctor alone has told me that there are a lot of women in her practise that are.

Most doctors use there discretion and their patients medical history and health to decide, I don't think its anything to do with cost.

This to me is the whole point of this thread regardless of current guidelines up to date or not, or at least that is what I have been trying to get over.

[peegeetip]

Hi

weird that there is such an urgency to get us pushed off a treatment that may reduce and prevent more expense on the health service for between 10p and 30p a day. Hypocritical that they push £1 a day untested Statins so much at the moment for over 60's and yet ignore the benefit of HRT.

I think its a mix of things including some doing it out of rote, some out of concern for patient, some having concern for the cost. Some are above questioning when it does happen and unwilling to often discuss/resolve things we want at often difficult and critical times in our lives.

I noticed a timely quote today in papers that seems to pervade a lot of what we sadly see on the forum.

"Some years ago, the outgoing head of the General Medical Council warned doctors that they needed to adapt to a new age of patient-power. Sir Donald Irvine said: ‘There are still some doctors who dislike what they perceive as their authority being questioned. They resent the assertive patient.'"

Please remember I know a lot of doctors are great and are not like this.
Unfortunately the above quote has been my experience thus far.

 

[Hurdity]

A few months ago the Chairman of NICE encouraged us all to be more assertive - I mentioned this article in various posts and have lifted the below from these:

Here is a recent article by the Chairman of NICE ( National Institute of Health and Care Excellence) who says patients (sadly) need to be more pushy with their doctors (difficult when you are feeling hormonal)!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/nhs/10595806/NHS-patients-should-be-pushy-with-GPs-about-treatment-and-drugs-says-health-chief.html

In it he says this:

Patients should adopt “American” attitudes and be more pushy with their doctors about drugs to which they are entitled, the head of the NHS rationing body has said.

Professor David Haslam, chairman of the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE), said British patients should become more assertive and see themselves as “equal partners” with their doctors, with legal rights.

He said patients in this country needed to learn from the Americans, who are far more confident about entering into dialogue with family doctors about their health, and taking an active role in managing their health.

Prof Haslam said too many patients were not being offered medications approved by NICE – and should learn more about their conditions and ask for drugs which should be prescribed for them.

In an interview with The Telegraph, he said: “When products have been approved for use by the NHS by Nice, patients have a legal right to those drugs - as long as they are clinically appropriate. The take-up should be much higher than it currently is." ......

That says it all really.

Hurdity x

[Limpy]

It does.

Wouldn't it would be nice to go to our GPs and feel we could rely on them doing what was best for us...........

[Rowan]

That advice is really going to help a fragile tearful even timid women going to her Doctor about her menopause symptoms!

Its alright to advise that but its in the real world of Doctors and patients, that attitude can backfire.

I would suggest if a woman is feeling fragile she should take her husband/partner along with her to an appointment ( if he is willing) because in my experience men are taken more seriously, if a woman's partner is with her he/she will listen and will more then likely be prescribed what she wants, and be treated with more consideration. 

A single woman might feel more confident if she has a friend with her.

Sad but true in some circumstances.

[honeybun]

This statement worries me


Prof Haslam said too many patients were not being offered medications approved by NICE – and should learn more about their conditions and ask for drugs which should be prescribed for them.

Does this mean that we should self diagnose as well as know what medications that are best for us.

Obviously after a diagnosis then we can learn more about the condition and ask appropriate questions.

A lot of doctors do know their istuff and some of us who have health anxiety could come to a very wrong conclusion about what is wrong with us.

Honeyb
x

[Rowan]

What you say is very true HB also despite what is being suggested most if not all Doctors do have our best interests at heart and going in with guns blazing, I just can't see how that works.

I don't envy a Doctors job, we all have such high expectations.

It is a good idea to have someone accompany you if you are feeling nervous in some circumstances, I do see a lot of that in waiting rooms and at hospital appointments, couples going in together.

"more then likely be prescribed what she wants" I should have said "needs"